Automatic winding timepiece



Man Myuen/h Umvmfiam- 1952 M. HUGUENIN AUTOMATIC WINDING TIMEPIECE FiledApril 15, 1949 Patented Dec. 2, 1952 AUTOMATIC WINDING TIMEPIECE MarcHuguenin, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to Montres Rolex S. A. (RolexWatch Co. Ltd.) a corporation of Switzerland Application April 13, 1949,Serial No. 87,295 In Switzerland April 26, 1948 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in time-pieces (watches, clocks,etc.) and more particularly to improvements in time-pieces automaticallywound by an oscillating mass, with seconds at the center.

As a feature of this invention, the winding mass is rotatably mounted ona support for the upper bearing of the shaft of seconds at the center,said support being attached to a bridge of the framework.

In time-pieces object of this invention, the upper pivot-movement of theshaft of the seconds in the center, at the exclusion of any otherpivotmovement, is effected in a support permanently attached to thebridge serving ordinarily as bearing for the upper pivot of theminute-wheel, said support being used as rotation-axis for theoscillating mass which winds the time-piece.

The construction of a watch with the secondhand at the center and withautomatic winding, in which the winding mass pivots about the center ofthe movement, exhibits difficulties resulting from the peculiar andspecific relative position of three superimposed and coaxial parts: Theminute-wheel; the wheel of the seconds at the center; and the supportserving as axis of rotation to the winding mass.

As the total height of the movement is fixed, the three parts abovereferred to must be so disposed that the quality and life of the watchare not impaired. Considering that the weight and radius of gyration ofthe winding mass must be as great as possible, the length of itsadjustment on the central support should properly be sufiicient to avoidthat the inevitable wear exceeds acceptable and. inconsequential limits.

Since the three parts above-named are superimposed, it is important thatthey should fit within each other as far as practically possible, inorder to reduce their combined height to the minimum.

The pinion of second at the center is located on a plane intermediatethe minute-wheel and the support forming the pivoting axis of thewinding mass. Its lower shaft or arbor engages the shaft or arbor of theminute-wheel in a known manner. According to the conditions set forthfor the inter-pen tration of these parts according to a feature of theinvention, the upper pivot of said pinion of seconds is inserted withinthe said support for the winding mass.

The foregoing and other features of this invention will appear from thefollowing detailed description and from the accompanying drawings, whichrefer, by way of illustration but not of limitation, to two of itsembodiments.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view through the center of a time-piecebuilt according to the principle of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a similar cross-sectional view of an alternativeembodiment of this invention.

In these figures, however, certain pinions and other parts are shown asfront views.

Referring to Figure l, the pillar plate of the time-piece is numbered Iand the finishing plate or bridge 2. An intermediate plate 3 serves forthe pivoting of sleeve 4 of the minute-pinion 5. The latter meshes withthe teeth of the barrel I. The barrel is set in motion by means of thespiral spring contained therein. A shaft 8 carrying a second-hand at thecenter 9 and the pinion for the seconds (also known as fourth pinion)Ill passes through sleeve The pinion of seconds is meshes with the wheelI I, also known as third wheel, which transmits the movement from theminute-wheel S3 to said pinion of seconds through its coaxial pinion,not shown, known as third pinion.

Sleeve 4 carries at its lower end (on Figure 1) a hearing it. whichreceives the lower pivot 8a of shaft 8. The second-hand 9 is fitted ontosaid pivot 8a. The minute wheel it! passes under barrel I.

An opening I4 is provided in finishing plate 2. A support for theoscillating mass IT is attached to the finishing plate 2, concentricwith opening I4. Said support comprises a cylindrical tubular part I5aterminating by a base flange IE1) at tached under plate 2 by means ofthree screws I5 disposed at angles from each other. The oscillating massI! is joined to a sleeve IIa, rotatably adjusted around the cylindricalpart I5a of the support. Sleeve Ila goes through opening I4, so that itslength is sufficient to insure an accurate and lasting adjustment forthe oscillating mass, which is relatively heavy.

The support I5a is provided with a recess I8, coaxial therewith, whichreceives a bearing IS in which the upper pivot 8b of shaft 8 isadjusted.

The features of this invention permit mounting a second-handconcentrically to an oscillating winding mass, without materiallyincreasing the height of the movement, or decreasing the length ofadjustment of the said mass.

The barrel-bridge could be substituted functionally and operatively forbridge or plate 2.

In the alternative embodiment shown in Figure 2, the support for thewinding mass is numbered 20, the finishing plate 2I, its opening 22 andthe pinion of seconds 23. The flanged base 20a. of the support 20 isattached to the top surface of the finishing plate 2| and the pinion ofseconds 23 is located in part in the thickness of plate 2|, withinopening 22. The minute wheel 24 passes over the barrel 25. Otherwise theprinciple of the movement, its parts and operation remain as describedin connection with Fi ure 1. Especially the bearing guiding the upperpivot of the pinion of seconds is located in a recess at the lower partof and coaxial with the support 20 for the winding mass. 10

I claim:

In an automatic winding time-piece having the second hand at its center,in combination, a winding mass, a bridge-plate provided with an opening,a flanged support comprising a cylin- 15 drical tubular member passingthrough said opening and a flanged base attached to said bridge-plate onthe lower face thereof, a sleeve joined and coaxial with said windingmass and rotatably mounted onto said cylindrical tubular 20 member andpassing through said opening too, a shaft of seconds at said center andcoaxial with said cylindrical tubular member, and a bearing for saidshaft inserted in and coaxial with said cylindrical tubular member, saidbearing being situated at least partly Within said sleeve of the mass.

MARC I-IUGUENIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,098,737 Bornfriend Nov. 9, 1937FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 170,501 Switzerland Oct. 16, 1934

